Chapter 724 - 721: I Didn’t Do It on Purpose

Chapter 724: Chapter 721: I Didn’t Do It on Purpose

"Autumn! Autumn!" Yvette Zimmerman finally broke down, rushing forward to embrace Autumn Shelby. "Don’t say another word, please, don’t say another word..." she sobbed. "It was all my fault. I didn’t protect you. I’m the one who ruined your life!"

She had once believed that if Autumn married Seth Quinn, she would become the young mistress of the Quinn family, the future matriarch. She would live a pampered life, enjoying endless splendor and riches, envied and flattered by everyone in Novaria.

She had thought she was doing what was best for her daughter, but she never imagined it would be her ruin.

Listening from the side, Clara Grant couldn’t help but feel a wave of melancholy. ’That’s right,’ she thought. ’If the Shelby family hadn’t drilled it into Autumn’s head from childhood that she absolutely had to marry Seth Quinn, maybe she wouldn’t have become so hopelessly obsessed.’

’So, Autumn’s tragedy wasn’t just her own doing. It was probably also caused by Evan Shelby’s "family interests above all else" mentality and Yvette Zimmerman’s misguided, self-righteous love.’

But Autumn, facing her grief-stricken and guilt-ridden mother, expressionlessly pushed her away. Her gaze shifted to Seth Quinn.

"Seth Quinn, now that you know what happened a year ago—that I was once pregnant and gave birth to another man’s child—everyone will probably say I betrayed you, won’t they? But I didn’t!"

"Even if I did betray you physically, it wasn’t what I wanted! It wasn’t on purpose! I was with you for so many years, from the little girl who trailed behind you, to the woman who became your girlfriend, and finally, your fiancée."

"I have always loved you so, so much. But you? You were always so lukewarm, so indifferent. Forget about the intimacy a couple should share—you never even initiated holding my hand!"

"If only I didn’t love you! If only I was marrying you just for my family’s interests and my own life of luxury, that would have been so much better! Then I wouldn’t have been so heartbroken and driven to despair by your indifference."

"But unfortunately, I fell in love with you. So when you treated me like that, how could I possibly bear it?!"

"Do you remember? That one time I stripped naked and offered myself to you in your bed, but you didn’t even bat an eye and just told me to get dressed and go home!"

"Heh, don’t I have any self-respect? Don’t I have any pride? Do you have any idea how humiliated I was?"

"So, I went to a bar and got myself drunk. Then I met Sierra Sutton. I went to a hotel with him. I slept with him..."

As she spoke, Autumn wiped the tears from her face, her voice laced with resentment. "I just wanted to get back at you. You didn’t want me, right? You wouldn’t touch me? Well, someone else wanted me! Someone else was willing to touch me! But... I was drunk. It doesn’t count..."

After her resentful outburst, she laughed again, a desolate sound. "Heh... So, when I sobered up, I regretted it. There was nothing I could do. The one I love is still you. It can only be you! Even if you don’t love me, I still only wanted to marry you!"

"But then, I found out I was pregnant! Of course, I couldn’t keep the baby, so I went to the hospital to get an abortion. But the doctor told me that my uterine lining was very thin and that it was already difficult for me to conceive."

"Getting pregnant this time was already a stroke of luck. If I had an abortion, I might never be able to get pregnant again. But if I carried this baby to term without further damaging my uterine lining, my chances of conceiving in the future would actually be higher."

"If I could really never have children again, then even if I married you, the moment your family found out I was infertile, you would still throw me out of the Quinn family, wouldn’t you? After all, the eldest son of the Quinn family, the future Family Head—how could he possibly have a wife who can’t bear children!"